Beaming machine



Aug. 12, 1969 w. H. KIMPTON BEAMING MACHINE Filed April 17, 1967 I]HHHHHHIIHHIIIHH Wm. mm H. K mrron INYENTOR To RMEYS United States Patent 3,460,771 BEAMING MACHINE William Harry Kirnpton, Quarry Bank Mills, Styal, Wilmslow, Cheshire, England Filed Apr. 17, 1967, Ser. No. 631,443 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 30, 1966,

Int. Cl. D02h 5/00, 13/00; B6511 17/08 US. Cl. 242-18 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention concerns beaming machines.

According to the present invention a beaming machine comprises a beam which is mounted for movement between a lowered position and a raised position whereat its periphery engages with a fixed presser roller, a hydraulic system pressurised by resilient spring means and adapted to support said beam in said raised position, means for adjusting said hydraulic system to effect lowering of the beam and controlled by the force in said resilient spring means, whereby as the effective diameter of said beam increases due to the buildup of material thereon during a beaming operation, the beam centre is moved away from said presser roller so that the force between the beam and the presser roller does not exceed a predetermined value.

The invention will be further apparent from the following description, with reference to the single figure of the accompanying drawing, which shows, by way of example only, a diagrammatic end view of one form of beaming machine embodying the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be seen that the beaming machine includes a beam 10 which is rotatably mounted between pivoted side arms 11 whereby it is adapted for movement between a lowered position and a raised position whereat its periphery engages with a fixed rotatable presser roller 12.

A hydraulic system is provided including a main hydraulic cylinder 13 having a piston 14 slidable therein. The piston 14 is connected by a piston rod 15 with a screw-threaded shaft 16 which is adapted to be moved axially by means of an axially fixed nut engaging same, which nut can be driven from a reversible electric motor 17 via an electromagnetic clutch 18.

The end of the cylinder 13 remote from the shaft 16 is connected with hydraulic cylinders 19 and 20.

The hydraulic cylinder 19 has a piston 21 slidable therein which is connected by means of a rod 22 with a member 23 which engages one end of a compression spring 24 whose other end abuts a member 25 whose axial position may be adjusted by means of a handle 26.

The hydraulic cylinder has a piston 27 slidable therein which is connected by a piston rod 28 with one of the arms 11.

In use, with the piston 14 to the extreme right of the cylinder 13 and the beam 10 in its lowered position, the motor 17 may be started and the clutch 18 engaged to cause the shaft 16 to move the piston 14 to the left, thereby forcing hydraulic fluid into the cylinders 19 and 20 and compressing the spring 24. The spring 24 has the effect of pressurising the hydraulic fluid which acts on the piston 27 to raise the beam 10 such that its periphery engages the presser roller 12. When the beam 10 engages the presser roller 12 continued movement of the piston 14 to the left causes further compression of the spring 24. When the force between the beam 10 and roller 12 reaches a required value the motor 17 is stopped.

Beaming is now commenced with the motor 17 running in the reverse direction but with the clutch 18 disengaged.

The buildup of material on the beam 10 causes an increase of pressure in the hydraulic fluid due to the forces applied to the piston 27. Since the piston 14 is now locked, the increase in pressure is taken up by the spring 24 and the member 23 moves to the left to engage the limit switch 29 which causes the clutch 18 to engage to move the shaft 16 and hence piston 14 to the right, thereby relieving the pressure in the hydraulic fluid until the member 23 moves out of engagement with the switch 29 thereby disengaging the clutch 18, until such time as a further buildup of material causes the member 23 to engage the switch 29 again.

It will be appreciated that as the beaming operation continues the beam centre is progressively moved away from the roller such that the pressure between the beam 10 and roller 12 never exceeds a predetermined value determined by the characteristics of the spring 24, the position of the switch 29 and the setting of the position of the member 25.

It will be appreciated that it is not intended to limit the invention to the above example only, many variations being possible, such as might readily occur to one skilled in the art, without departing from the scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A beaming machine comprising a beam, said beam being mounted for movement between a lowered position and a raised position, a fixed presser roller engaging with the periphery of said beam in its raised position, a hydraulic system supporting said beam in said raised position, resilient spring means pressurising said hydraulic system, and means controlled by the force in said resilient spring means for adjusting said hydraulic system to effect lowering of the beam, whereby as the effective diameter of said beam increases due to the buildup of material thereon during a beaming operation, the beam centre is moved away from said presser roller so that the force between the beam and the presser rollers does not exceed a predetermined value.

2. A beaming machine according to claim 1, wherein said hydraulic system includes a main hydraulic cylinder, a piston slidable in said main hydraulic cylinder, controllable drive means for reciprocating said piston in said cylinder, two further hydraulic cylinders, and pistons slidable in said further hydraulic cylinders and adapted when acted upon by pressure fluid fed to their respective cylinders from said main cylinder to support said beam against said presser roller and act on said resilient spring means respectively, and including means adapted to detect continuously throughout the beaming operation the presence of a force in said resilient spring means in excess of -a predetermined value and drive means responsive to said detecting means for moving the piston of said main cylinder to allow displacement of hydraulic fluid from said further cylinders under the action of said spring means, whereby the force in said spring means is lowered to said predetermined value and the centre of the beam is allowed to move away from said presser roller.

3. A beaming machine according to claim 2 wherein said resilient spring means includes a compression spring,

3 one end of said compression spring being secured at a predetermined position, and the other end being movable.

4. A beaming machine according to claim 3 wherein said means adapted to detect the presence of a force in said compression spring in excess of a predetermined value comprises a micro-switch, and including a member for actuating said micro-switch, said member being arranged to move with the movable end of said compression spring.

5. A beaming machine according to claim 4 wherein said drive means includes an electro-ma-gnetically operable clutch adapted to be controlled by said micro-switch.

6. A beaming machine according to claim 3 including means for adjusting said predetermined position of said one spring end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,382,760 8/1945 Wiggermann 28-38 2,572,904 10/1951 Bauer. 2,663,067 12/1953 Roughsedge et a1. 3,016,205 1/ 1962 Barnes. 3,299,990 1/ 1967 Ratcliffe. 3,355,116 11/1967 Conrad.

FOREIGN PATENTS 848,475 9/ 1952 Germany.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2838; 242-65 

